FINAL IS NO LLOR THAN WE DESERVE
HUGO LLORIS believes France are the most complete team in the World Cup and are on a mission to erase their Euro 2016 heartbreak.
Les Bleus knocked out one of the favourites when Samuel Umtiti’s header sent Belgium spinning to a semi-final defeat in St Petersburg on Tuesday.
It was their fourth clean sheet in six matches, with Argentina the only team in the tournament to score against them in open play.
They have plenty of potential match-winners, too, with Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe two of the stars of the finals.
Tottenham goalkeeper Lloris said: “We are quite complete as a team.
“We can play in different ways, in different styles. But the most important thing is that all the players are involved to help the team.
“I know it could be a bit stupid to say that but this is the reality.
“Everybody tries to work and run for the team and do their best.
“We have plenty of talented players but that is the case for all the teams involved.
“The mental side is very important and if you want success in the competition, you need strong basics, especially defensively, because when you defend well, you have more chance to win games.”
Lloris was in goal as favourites
France lost on home soil
from PAUL BROWN against Portugal in the Euro 2016 Final. “Most of the players, they were not at the Euro,” he said.
“There has been a lot of change between both competitions.
“But for the players who were involved, yes, we can use our experience to show the right way to the young lads. I think it’s different circumstances this time.
“If I remember well, we played on Thursday the semi-final against Germany and then the final on the Sunday, so we had less time to recover. That is not the case this time.
“We have time to enjoy, to recover and to prepare the next game as well as possible.
“This is our target. We will be ready for this next fight.”
Manchester United star Paul Pogba has launched a passionate defence after being heavily criticised in France for a perceived lack of discipline.
Pogba (below) said: “I don’t want to prove nothing to nobody.
“I came from... I wouldn’t exactly say nothing. I could do one thing and it was to play football.
“It was my love, my first love. I live for football. I play for football.
“I get criticised again and again but today everything is fine. We are winning. “The critics can criticise me but the one thing they cannot criticise is the love of football I have in my heart.”